


Rainy Days and Weak Ankles

by Azeran



Series: Camp Camp [5]
Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Gwen has it bad for David, Max is guilty as sin, Supposedly unrequited love, gwenvid - Freeform, they all have emotional issues to work out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-07-29 00:54:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16253321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azeran/pseuds/Azeran
Summary: It only takes one bad day to strip away a few defenses. Gwen has more than the average adult though. Add in rain, injuries, one frantic David, and you get this.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first experiment with Gwenvid. I’m not entirely happy with it, but hey! Just testing the waters. Let me know what you think, or just rant to me about these two assholes. I love them.

Gwen slammed the cabin door shut and all but collapsed onto a chair, the sting of tears hot in her eyes. It’d been another glorious (awful) day at camp. Nothing too out of the ordinary, if you didn’t count the fucking terrible, rainy ass weather that was making her ankles feel like they were on fire. Fuck her weak ass genetics. Oh, and Max’s latest little prank that ended with her flat on her ass at the foot of a hill, her clothes soaked through and knees scraped to high hell. She was going to be bruised for days. Couple the embarrassment with it being that wonderful time of the month, and Gwen was ready to tear her own hair out. So, yeah. Just a normal fucking day at Camp Campbell, her own personal nightmare on steroids. And—

“Wow. Way to be a complete drama queen Gwen. Good job.” Gwen knocked her head against the back of the chair. This pity party was getting her nowhere. God, she was being stupid. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Gwen leaned back and kicked up her feet, feeling a lance of pain shoot up her thigh. Camp Campbell was no picnic, but it could be worse. David would tell her she needed to take a deep breath, count to ten, and think of something happy. She just...ughh. She was at the end of her rope. Today sucked. A lot. All Gwen wanted to do was crawl into bed and forget everything. Get some peace and quie—

“Gwen! Max told me what happened! Are you ok? How can I help??” The cabin door all but slammed open, a frazzled and soaked David bursting inside. He looked around for a few seconds before spotting her, his expression shifting from shock to outright horror. Huh. Did she really look that bad? Gwen cringed, shifting on the chair. “Oh my gosh Gwen, I’m so sorry! When Max said you tumbled down the hill, I dropped everything and came as quick as I could.” David hurried to her side, jade eyes raking over her raw knees and mud stained clothes. “That looks like it hurts.”

“No shit. You think?” Gwen muttered. She instantly regretted it, because David didn’t deserve her bitchiness. None of this was his fault. He didn’t even seem fazed though. David was completely focused, rasping a damp palm down her leg as he applied the softest of pressure to her skin, mapping out each blossoming bruise and raw scrape. If Gwen wasn’t aching so much, she’d enjoy the contact. But that was a can of worms she was NOT ready to open. Not yet. “Watch it. They’re pretty tender,” she warned, shifting her ankle away from his probing  
fingers. 

David frowned. “That’s not good. Did you sprain them in the fall?” He chased after her legs, plucking at the hidden zipper at the back of her right boot. Gwen couldn’t help flinching, and David saw. Of course he did. Naive and woefully optimistic he could be, but David wasn’t obtuse. He paid attention, especially when it came to her. And didn’t that just bring a blush to her cheeks. 

“No. My genetics are shit. Weak ankles,” Gwen elaborated, reluctance stabbing every syllable. David was the flimsy one of the two of them. Not her. How often did he trip and hurt himself in the span of a week, fuck, a day? But here she was, shivering and aching to her very core, looking no better than a drowned rat as her maroon hair bunched up in a thick halo of rain damp curls around her face. Hmph. So much for being the strong one. Right about now it felt like a light breeze would knock her ass over. “David, it’s fine. I can take care of myself.” Gwen was already bruised, emotionally wrecked, and so close to tears it wasn’t funny. She didn’t need her pride taking any more of a beating than it needed to. 

“I know that. But I want to help!” David touched her knee, the gentlest smile on his face. “Gwen. You’re always helping me. Let me return the favor, just this once? It’s really my fault you got hurt anyway. If I hadn’t forgotten our rain ponchos, you wouldn’t have been up there alone!” His smile shifted, sheepish and tinged with guilt, affection, all things that made Gwen forget how to breathe. “I might’ve fallen down the hill instead.”

“Yeah? And where would that have gotten us genius? One of us would still be hurt,” Gwen snarked. “Hell David, you’d be crying like a baby while I patched up your wounds.” God, she needed to shut up. David was going to get sick of her shit eventually. 

“Maybe so! But you wouldn’t be hurt.” David’s jaw tensed. Busying himself with taking off her boots and socks, he hesitated, calloused fingers skimming her calves. “It shouldn’t have happened. I don’t...I don’t like it when you get hurt Gwen. It’s not right.” 

Something about the way he said that strangled any retort Gwen was going to make, leaving her nearly speechless, amethyst eyes wide as saucers. “David….” fuck, what did she say? What could she say to that? “David, it’s ok. Seriously. Shit happens, y’know?” Gwen gnawed on her lower lip, the urge to move (run) breeding like a disease inside her. Though that could just be cramps too. “It’s Camp Campbell. We’re a walking talking death trap! You know that. Accidents are, like, our running gag. We can barely go five minutes without something being set on fire around here!” Trying for a laugh, Gwen chucked the redhead on his shoulder. She needed him to crack a joke, smile, anything. “You can’t always protect me David.” 

“I can try.” David’s gaze snapped up to hers, piercing green and vibrant as a forest fire. It stole Gwen’s breath away. “Gwen, I know you’re trying to make me feel better, and I appreciate it. But could you please...stop? Nothing you say will change how I feel. Not right now. I need time to think, figure a few things out.” David pushed her legs apart at the knee and wedged himself between them, never once breaking eye contact. “I know I’m being awfully rude. And...invasive. And I’m sorry. I don’t want to be pushy. I just need to do something to make up for what happened. I have to. So please, Gwen. Please,” David begged, “let me take care of you, just this once.”

Gwen couldn’t think of a reply. Her brain had short circuited when David made himself at home between her thighs. Fuck, it was like he belonged there. If only he would stop staring up at her with that look on his face, as if she were the most important thing in the world to him. “I—I…” Gwen fidgeted in her chair, ignoring the responding pains that felt bone deep. “David, you don’t need to. Some Tylenol and sleep will fix me right up.” Though the warmth of his touch felt glorious against her chilled skin. 

“I want to,” David retorted. “Even if it’s something small! Please Gwen.”

She couldn’t say no. It was on the tip of her tongue, every stubborn fiber within her crying for it. Except this was David. Her David, begging to do her the smallest kindness, all with the faintest speckle of tears in his eyes, and Gwen—fuck. She knew what she had to do. Pride be damned, David meant more to her than her own insecurities and whiny bullshit. “.....ok.” Gwen despised how small her voice sounded, but she grit her teeth and powered through it. “Fine David. If it’ll make you feel better. But don’t go crazy, ok? I told you, Tylenol and sleep. That’s all I need.”

“Well, I don’t know about all that. You certainly need a bath. You’re covered in mud, and you’re soaked through!” David smiled. “And I’d say you’ve earned something a little stronger than Tylenol. You had a pretty rough fall. It’s amazing nothing was broken.” A flash of something dark twisted his lips, and then it was gone. David suddenly looked more like the fun, lovable guy she knew, all traces of misery wiped clean off his handsome face. Gwen could almost believe she’d imagined it, except for the faintest remnant of tears on David’s lashes, nimble fingers flicking them away as he stood up and assessed her. “C’mon. Let’s go get you out of those clothes.”

She didn’t think it was possible, but Gwen swore she was on fire. Maybe she had a fever. That was better than considering the alternative anyway. “Sure David.” Flushing a radiant pink, she took the hand he offered her and hobbled to her feet. David was immediately there to support her weight. “Thanks.”

“You don’t need to thank me Gwen. I want to do this.” 

“Yeah, I know. Still. You’re..always there for me David.” Gwen leaned into him, giving into his strength as fatigue stripped her of hers. “I appreciate it. The help.” To emotionally wrecked Gwen, it meant everything to her. David was gentle, supportive, kind, and—fuck. She had it bad. “Hey...David?” 

“Yes Gwen?” David smiled at her, and before she could lose her cool, Gwen looped her arm around his waist and hugged David closer, basking in his warmth, the faint woodsy aroma he always carried with him. 

“Next time you decide to plan some bullshit rainy day activity for the little squirts, can we keep any actual rain out of it please? For me? My ankles and I would really appreciate it.” 

She felt him laugh, his breath ruffling the curls by her ear. “For you? Anything.”

Warmth curled in Gwen’s gut, and for one tiny second, she forgot about all the pain she was in. Her period, busted knee, flimsy ankles; none of it mattered. Fuck, she shouldn't look so deeply into everything he did. It was David. He was naturally giving, not happy until everyone surrounding him was too. And they were friends. Best friends. That’s what mattered most. So what if the traitorous little voice in her whined for something more? Gwen was in no hurry to fuck up one of the few good things she had in her life. She refused to risk everything on a pipe dream. David loved her, in his own way. That was enough. She’d keep telling herself that until whatever these...feelings were took a hint and fucked off. She had to.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A prequel in Max’s POV. Because Max is a little shit, but he does have a heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AtlasTheMayor, this is for you. I hope this gives you a little taste of what you wanted!

In his defense, Max didn’t mean for it to happen. David was supposed to be the one who would stumble over his cleverly hidden tripwire. DAVID was the one Max meant to end up in that massive mud puddle at the foot of the hill, which had been dug out by at least half a foot with a shovel borrowed from Quartermaster. It wasn’t Max’s most ingenious plan, but he’d been operating under borrowed time, ok?! Rainy days were opportunity gold, and he wasn’t in the habit of not taking advantage of David’s gullibility. Except the idiot just had to run off, and Gwen took his place. Gwen, who was usually a lot more astute than David, and never fell for Max’s schemes (unless they benefited her too). Until she did. That was….not a fun time.

Oh sure, he’d laughed at first. How could he not? One minute Gwen was lecturing them on how stuffing Space Kid’s helmet full of mud wasn’t the same as experiencing different atmospheric pressure, it was just drowning him, blablabla, and the next she was flat on her ass in Max’s carefully crafted mud puddle. He barely even saw her fall down the hill, it happened so fast! Luckily Neil was there with David’s borrowed, totally not stolen phone, gleefully recording the whole thing. Which was how Max came to realize something was up with Gwen. After watching the instant repeat, it was pretty obvious she wasn’t feeling well. Like, at all. Her hunched back, dark circles. And Max didn’t need the video to know that before the epic fall, she’d kept wincing whenever Space Kid or Nerris hugged her too hard. He’d pegged it for her general annoyance when it came to anything resembling affection, unless it was from some weird ass mythical creature. But one half baked explanation from Nikki later, whispered hastily in his ear, and it all made sense. 

Max...maybe felt a little bad. He’d never admit it out loud, but he liked Gwen. Sometimes. At the very least torturing her held nowhere near the appeal that it did David. She was too clever, with her own diabolical appreciation for a good bit of chaos. Plus, her utter disdain for most people made Max feel more comfortable around her. He didn’t have to try when it came to Gwen. Max could be himself. So, having his prank backfire and Gwen becoming the target wasn’t exactly part of the plan. He’d even been about to warn her! The words were right there on the tip of his tongue. Look out dumbass! Or he could’ve grabbed her wrist, pushed another victim into her path. But he didn’t. Max just watched it all happen, including the aftermath where Gwen hobbled her way back to camp, soaked and shivering and favoring her left leg. 

Fuuuuuck. Guilt felt like shit. Max grimaced, hiding his bunched fists in his hoodie pocket. “It’s not my fault,” he muttered, scuffing the toe of his shoe into the dirt. Except it was mud, and it splashed everywhere. Including on him. “Fuck me!” Max huffed, looking around. Nobody seemed to have noticed, though he heard plenty of the other kids snickering. Some even dared to give him judgmental looks. He didn’t need to ask what that was about. Bastards. What did they know anyway? Not like any of them stepped up to help Gwen. 

“....Hey Max?” Nikki inched up beside him, equally as mud splattered as he was. Hers was probably from rolling around on the ground like a rabid raccoon though. “You don’t think David will be mad, right? About Gwen?”

“Nah. No more than usual.” Max shrugged, rolling his eyes. “He’ll just give the usual ‘I’m so disappointed in you kids!’ speech that he always gives, and then he’ll go check on Gwen. Don’t sweat it Niks.” 

Nikki didn’t look satisfied. Not at all. Chewing on her nails, which wasn’t a habit Max had known she’d had, she glanced down the hill in the direction Gwen had gone. Her pigtails were drooping with rainwater, giving her a sad, puppy dog like demeanor. “Yeah, but….things are different now. David’s different. He protects Gwen like a loyal wolf protects their pack!” 

“What?” There was some new information. “The fuck are you talking about? David’s no wolf. He’s barely a human being!” Max followed Nikki’s gaze, but all he saw were clouds, shadows, the dingy grey of a stormy day. 

“Max, you don’t get it! When a pack member gets hurt, it doesn’t matter how it happened!” Nikki tugged on her pigtails, anxiously watching the camp become a sea of dingy brown. Like she expected David to appear any moment, a vengeful twig with a stupid bandana. “He’s gonna be so mad at us….”

Max scoffed. “Like it’s our fault she hurt herself.” He ignored the part of himself whispering that it was. KIND OF. Gwen tripped! Max didn’t push her, or make her be klutzy! He just set the trap. And if Gwen had been her normal suspicious self, she would’ve noticed. So really, it was on her. “Can’t blame me if she’s dumb and on her period,” Max muttered, tugging the hood of his rain slicker low, hiding his puckered brow and nervous turquoise eyes. There was a slithering sensation in his gut, guilt weaving itself into a knot with a growing strand of worry. Was Nikki onto something? He hadn’t noticed anything different about David and Gwen, but-

“There, there!” Nikki’s finger stabbed the air in front of his face, making Max jolt. There was a figure walking up the hill towards them, gingerly sidestepping Max’s puddle with a laugh and wave as shit, it was David, called out a cheery hello. Ah fuck. This wasn’t good. Max couldn’t say for sure, but he’d bet his dessert for a month that David didn’t know about Gwen yet. Otherwise he wouldn’t look so damn happy. 

“Ok, don’t panic. We’ve got this.” Max clapped his friend on the shoulder, hiding his own panic behind a shit eating smirk. “We’ll tell him Gwen got sick and went back to their cabin. If we play our cards right, we’ll be long gone before Gwen has a chance to tell him what really happened.” Not exactly a flawless escape plan, because David would definitely find them later. For the time being though, it was all they had. Max grabbed the back of Nikki’s overalls, noting that Neil was nowhere to be found. Long gone huh? He was smarter than Max had given him credit for. “C’mon. We’ve got to-“

“David!!! Gwen fell down the hill!!” In a flash of teal and red Nikki yanked herself free, and she flew down the hill towards David before Max could even think about tackling her. Stunned, he watched her latch onto David’s leg like a pariah and rat them out with zero hesitation, the little traitor. And when she started dragging David back up his way, Max felt a shiver crawl down his spine. The counselor looked….not happy. Not happy at ALL. 

Max told himself not to panic. This was David. What was the worst that could happen? Dessert privileges revoked? Or worse, David’s disappointment. Oh please. Fucking spare him. Max scowled, preparing himself for the onslaught, all the while ignoring the dark thoughts in the back of his mind that were wondering if Gwen really was ok. 

“We didn’t mean for it to happen,” Nikki was whining, gripping David’s shorts. “You left, and Gwen has her period, and-!” 

“Max.” David’s cool voice cut through her panic, and both kids gazed up at their counselor, Nikki audibly gulping as she shifted from foot to foot. But David only had eyes for Max. Arms crossed over his scrawny chest, he frowned, and Max’s shivers increased twofold. “Tell me what happened. And please, be honest with me. I want to hear every detail.”

“What, and sign my own death warrant?” Max snarked, without his usual heat. That was quickly leeching away under the face of David’s anger. Because David rarely got angry. Until he did. “Look, she fell down the hill. It’s not a big deal, alright? She’s probably fine!” 

David just stared at him, ocean green eyes flat as glass. “Probably?” He put his hands on his hips, head cocked to the side. The resemblance to a certain cult fanatic had Max half hoping it was Daniel in disguise again, but that was unlikely. Besides, Daniel reeked of crazy. There was no crazy here. Just pure, cold fury. “Max, this is serious. From what Nikki’s told me, you three-“ his gaze flickered, searching for the renegade Neil before fixating on Max again, “were trying to pull a prank. I assume it was meant for me?”

“Well, yeah. Duh.” 

“Uh uh. But instead, Gwen became your target. Gwen,” David stressed, “who Nikki says was already feeling under the weather. Not that that stopped you.”

Max flinched. “Hey, I didn’t know she was sick or whatever! That’s not my fault!” Which he wasn’t even sure he believed. Self doubt was eating him apart, to the point where he was starting to feel nauseous. Which only made him want to lash out more...so he did. “And where the fuck were you, huh? She’s your co-counselor. You should’ve already known she wasn’t feeling well.” HA. Take that Davey. Max relished the way David’s shoulders snapped back, shock painting every one of his pasty features. “Don’t you two share a cabin? C’mon David. Don’t blame us to make yourself feel better! You left Gwen alone with us. We’re kids, we were bored.” Max sneered, stabbing a finger up at the redhead. “We did what we do best.” 

“.....I see.” David fell silent. For a long while after that, all Max heard was the quiet outdoors. No birds chirped, all of the other campers had skulked off with a watchful Quartermaster in tow ages ago, leaving him and Nikki alone with David, who looked like he’d forgotten how to breathe. It was really weird. “......you’re right.”

“What??” Max hesitated. Did he hear that right? No way it was that easy. “You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m not.” David sighed. It was the most crippling, defeated sound Max had ever heard, and he’d heard David make some pretty pitiful noises before. “I admit, I’m not entirely guiltless here. Honestly, I never should have left Gwen alone with you guys. She said she was ok this morning, but I knew better. What she needed was bed rest. Instead, she got this.” David waved his hand about, lips pinched in a frown.

Max could jump with joy. He was in the clear! 

“....However. I’m afraid none of that excuses what you three did.”

That—what? Max blinked, then jumped in surprise when David’s pale hand clamped onto his shoulder, directing him in a slow but steady climb back down the hill. “Hey! What gives?!”

“I’m sorry Max. I don’t take any pleasure in this. But you have to understand, your little prank has consequences. What if Gwen was hurt? Which she very well could be, seeing as how all of you let her walk off, alone. Unsupervised! None of you even came to tell me there’d been an accident! Because to you three, it was all in good fun. Well, this time is going to be different. I can’t let you get off scot free Max. Even if you don’t care about what happened to Gwen, I do.”

Each word came like a slap, and Max curled into himself, barely noticing that David had Nikki in a vice like grip too. She wasn’t fighting. She was wiping her face with a dirty forearm, and Max tried so hard not to notice the tear tracks she was smudging. “Max, are you listening to me? This is serious!”

“...Yeah. I’m listening.” 

Whatever arguments Max could’ve concocted had died pretty quickly during David’s rant. It wasn’t even his doing. Max felt….bad. He’d seen Gwen pick herself up after the fall. She hadn’t looked good. She’d definitely been limping, and she was dirty, soaked, shivering. Pitiful. Max did that. No matter which way he tried to spin things, it was his fault. His prank was supposed to be on David, but Gwen fell victim. Max didn’t stop her from tripping, or even try to help. He watched, and laughed, and not once did Max stop to ask himself if Gwen was ok. Gwen, the one person in this whole damn camp who understood him. 

Anxiety drowned him, and suddenly Max felt every inch his ten years. He barely heard Nikki calling David’s name. “David? Are we gonna go see Gwen?”

“No Nikki. I’m afraid not. You two are going back to camp. Quartermaster will make sure you get dinner, and then you’re going to your tents. No dessert, and no campfire activities tonight. Or for the rest of the week.” 

Ouch. For David, that was pretty harsh. Normally Max wouldn’t give a shit, because who cared? Those stupid kumbaya songs drove him crazy. David’s sheer enthusiasm for it all sapped his energy. But David was making the conscious decision to disclude them...him. Something Max knew he hated. That stung. 

The real kicker though? Max really wanted to see Gwen too. Make sure she was ok. “You’ll check on her, right?” Max hastily hid his face when David glanced his way, a flush burning his cheeks red. “I just”

“Gwen’s the motherwolf.” Nikki’s quiet mumble came from his left. It must’ve made sense to David, because he made a confirmative noise in response, as dreary sounding as the weather. 

“As soon as I drop you kids off, I’m going to check on her.” David gave his arm a gentle squeeze, the bare bones of comfort. Honestly, it was the kindest thing Max had gotten out of him so far. He tried not to let that hurt. “Later I’ll stop by your tents and tell you how she’s doing. Alright Max?”

He deserved less. A lot less. “Whatever.” Max held back the tears threatening to betray him, angrily biting his lip. He refused to cry. Crying was stupid. What good would it do? He was still fucked up either way. Couldn’t change that. Because of his dumb joke Gwen got hurt, and Max had laughed it off. She probably hated him now. He would. 

To add to his fucked mood, a drop of water suddenly hit Max’s cheek, then another, and another. They were followed by a misty sheet of pure cold that dragged a garbled laugh out of him. When it rains, it pours. He read that in a book somewhere. Seemed pretty accurate. Because all he needed was an icy downpour to remind him he was a piece of shit who got Gwen hurt, and never even said he was sorry. Right. Didn’t that figure?

“Goddammit.” Max sniffled, huddling into David’s side. Rainy days sucked.


	3. David’s POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David has to take Max to apologize. They’re both less than eager.

David considered himself to be a patient man. He had to be. Despite his love for every child that came to camp, some were more...challenging than others. It was his job as their counselor to make sure they had fun and left at the end of summer with enough happy memories to fill up a scrapbook. David considered it both a pleasure and a privilege to make every kid smile, even if it was at his expense. 

With Max, that was often. David knew he was a good kid. He tried to hide behind his gruff exterior and sarcastic remarks, but there was something in his aqua eyes that hinted at a troubled home life, and so much loneliness it literally pained David to think about. Max deserved better, no matter how he acted. But even though David could forgive a lot, Max’s latest prank had struck Gwen, and it tested every fiber of his patience. 

For a kid who was usually so smart and in depth with his schemes, this one had fallen flat. Max had explained through gritted teeth that Gwen was an innocent victim. The prank was meant for David, not her. It wasn’t Max’s fault that she hadn’t been paying attention. 

That...was strike one against David’s favorite troubled camper. Strike two came when he learned that no one, but especially Max, had even bothered to check on Gwen when she fell down the hill. She’d limped her way back to camp. LIMPED. Thinking about it made fury boil up inside him, forcing David to choke it back down. He couldn’t lash out, not right now. He had to remain calm, take deep breaths. In, out. In, out. There. It wasn’t Max’s intention for anyone, least of all Gwen, to get hurt. That was David’s one ray of hope in all this. 

“Don’t see why I have to do this.” 

The grumbling came from down by his knee, and David’s lips twitched, eager to droop. Max complaining wasn’t exactly a new experience. But this time it was in regards to Gwen, the apology he owed her, and every word out of the boy’s mouth was just rubbing him the wrong way. “Max, we talked about this. You did something very mean, and as a result Gwen got hurt.” David glanced down at the camper, taking in his slumped shoulders and dark scowl. “I thought you’d want to apologize, considering.”

Max scowled. “Considering what Davey? Considering it’s all my fault? Is that what you’re trying to say!?”

Patience David. Patience. He dragged out a shaky, yet steadying gulp of air, pasting a smile on his face. It was a sad day when he had to force what normally came as easy to him as breathing. “We both have to take responsibility for our actions Max. Gwen never should’ve been left alone with you kids. I knew she was sick, but I let my excitement for the day’s activities overrule my good judgment.” David’s smile waned. Why did he do that? “....and Max, your pranking, while all in good fun, has gotten out of hand. You need to be more careful! Next time, something more serious than a sprained knee could happen.” His voice frosted over, stabbing the boy like ice picks. “You’re lucky Gwen didn’t break her neck. I hope you realize that Max.”

Max seemed to wither away under his chastisement. It pained David to be tough on him, yet at the same time...there was a sort of cold vindication to it. And that scared the counselor. He’d never been the type to enjoy the suffering of others! It was—well, it was just downright wrong! Yet here he was, watching Max suffer, and all David could think was that he deserved it. It was awful. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that Max,” David murmured. “That was the last thing you needed to hear.”

“Whatever. It’s not like you’re wrong.” Max shrugged. It looked forced, as if he were feigning indifference. Or maybe David was overthinking things. “You’d be fucked if anything happened to Gwen. Camp’s already gone to hell without her, and it’s only been a few days.”

David frowned. “I don’t know about that. I think we’ve been managing alright.” Had they really though? He certainly hadn’t been his usual cheerful self, but he’d put in effort for the campers! They couldn’t have noticed anything too drastic.

The hesitation on his part must’ve shown, because Max smirked. “Yeah, sure. I forgot. You always spend your days moping around camp, practically crying your eyes out anytime anyone so much as mentions Gwen. For fuck’s sake David, it’s Bonquisha all over again! You even forgot to do your stupid camp cheer this morning! You never do that.” Max shuffled his feet, suddenly looking every bit his ten years of age. “You’re always so sickeningly happy, but lately it’s like you’ve got this giant ass rain cloud hanging over your head. It’s making everyone miserable.” Turquoise eyes pinned David in place, wet with unshed tears and glittering like shards of glass. “Get over yourself Davey. You act like you’re only one who gives a shit about Gwen.”

Oh. David flinched, recoiling a bit from Max’s side. That hurt. Any other time and he would’ve been hard pressed not to cry. David couldn’t though, not in front of Max. Even so, it took everything not to bite his lip, because all he wanted to do was grab the camper in a big hug and apologize for everything. “I’m...sorry, Max. I didn’t realize I was hurting your feelings.” 

“Tch. Not my feelings. I meant Nikki, Space Kid.” And just like that, the walls were up. Max snapped back into his aloof role with a terrifying ease. How often had he had to hide himself behind masks? David was afraid to ask, so he kept silent. Arguing would only make Max close himself off more, and he’d done enough damage today. “C’mon. Gwen’s gonna fall asleep waiting for us! Since when did you start acting like a decrepit old man? Pick up the pace David!” 

“What? Oh, of course.” Max grabbed his hand, forcing David out of his own headspace. He barely had time to gather his wits before Max was dragging him the rest of the way through camp, steering their way through tents and equipment. He knew the path to the counselor cabins so well, David was impressed. Certainly Max had snuck in there often enough. It should be clockwork to him by now. But his sudden enthusiasm caught David off guard. “You must really want to see Gwen,” he muttered, more to himself than anything, a hint of jealousy seeping through. Max was never that eager to see him….

But that was fine. Of course it was fine. David shook the negativity off as best as he could, offering Max’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m sure she’ll be happy you came.”

“Yeah yeah. I know. Her ‘I hate all of you’ act is a bunch of bullshit. She misses us.” Max grinned. “I bet she’s been dying of boredom without us causing unending mayhem around her. Or you drove her crazy with your damn whining.”

The confidence Max wielded was a possible mask. That was a thought David took care not to show. Perhaps being around Gwen was rubbing off on him, or he was getting better at reading the camper. “I’ve been keeping her entertained just fine, thank you very much. But I bet a visit from you is just what she needs to perk up!” David steeled his shoulders, spotting their cabin in the distance. Max’s little fingers tensed against his palm, then relaxed. “Go ahead,” David coaxed. “With any luck she’s still awake.”

“Like that would stop me.” 

That cheeky smile never once left Max’s face, even as he walked up to the door and hovered his knuckles over the wood. Hesitation. A few seconds, coppery skin spread with goose bumps, and then….

Knock knock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> David is salty as fuck, and justifiably so. Doesn’t excuse his behavior though. Maybe a talk with Gwen will patch shit up?


End file.
